Knitting-machine.



F. W. ROBlNSON.

KNH'UNG MAGIUNF.

allainx'riw fum MM, 2:3 1914.

1,1 1 9,877. Patented Dec. 8. 1914.

UNITED sTArEs PATENT 'oFFioE FRANK W. ROBINSON, OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA., ASSIGNOR TO NOLDE ,rHORST COMPANY, OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF. PENNSYLVANIA..

murrine-MACHINE.'

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

Application le'd March 23, 191,4. .Serial No. 828,468.

To all whom it may concern.'

ABe it known that I, FRANK W. ROBINSON;

Reading, in the county of Berks and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knitting-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

i My invention relates torcircular knitting machines such as are commonly employed for knitting seamless hosiery, and .which are provided with means for introducing an extra reinforcing yarn to a portion of the needles in the knitting of certain courses.

The carrying of this extra yarn byA a portion'only of. the needles employed in the knitting of. a course, causes a variation in tension in the single and double thread portions of the successive courses sufficient to very noticeably affect the quality ofthe product. l

My inventionI consists in providing for varying the operation of the needles at the .knitting point to correspond with the difference in mrterial carried by them, as fully described in connection vwith the accompanying drawings, and the novel features are specifically ponted out in the claims.

Figures l to 5 i lustrate my invention as applied to a wellv known type of circular knitting machine employing a rotary needle cylinder: Fig. l being a sectional elevation through the knitting-cam head, and indicating the means for moving said head toward or away from the needle cylinder. Fig. 2 is a separate view, developed in a straight plane, of the inside curved face of the knitting-cam head showing the knitting cams with my improvements applied thereto. Fig. 3 is a corresponding plan view of one of the knitting cams. Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged sections on the line 4 5 of Fig. 2, lshowing respectively the lowermost posi-v tions assumed by the needles when theknitting head is in normal position, and when it is moved away from the needle cylinder during the knitting-in ofthe reinforcing yarn. Figs. 6 Ato 8 indicate a modification of my invention applicable to the equally well known circular knitting machines having fixed lneedle cylinders: Fig. 6 being an inside view of the cam cylinder, developed in a plane; and Figs. 7 and 8 being sectional elevations on the line 7 8 of Fig. 6, showing the lowermost normal and reinforced yarn knitting portions respectively.

The well known type of knitting machine indicated vin-Figs. 1 to 5 is more fully shown `and described in Patent No.' 933,443, issued Sept. "I, 19.09, and I have ,indicated only so much as is necessary to -fully explain my invention. 1 represents the needle cylinder driven in well4 known manner by gear wheel 2. 3 is a yarn feeding device, operated by a lever 4, actuated by ,a cam mechanism through a link 5, to lay a reinforcing thread at determined times for part only of each revolution of the needle cylinder. This reinforcing yarn is engaged by a certain series of needles so as to provide a reinforced fabric as for 'instance a high spliced heel or a sole portion of a. stocking. 6 is the fixed knitting-cam head carrying knitting cams as usual which operate upon the projecting butts of the needles mounted in the rotated needle cylinder 1. In practice I have found that wherever this reinforcing yarn is introduced an inequality in the tension occurs that greatly Vimpairs, the appearance of the finished article. If the tension is proper for the single yarn portion it is not right for' the reinforced portion of the fabric. Heretofo-re an intermediate tension has been used which is not proper for either and results in a defective stocking.

My invention relates to mechanism for providing with a determined tension a proper draw of each loop for both single and reinforced portions of the fabric so that the texture of the finished fabric Will have equal tension in both parts and greatly enliance the appearance and give longer life to the stocking. To accomplish this I provide the needles that knitin the reinforcing yarn With butts of differing height from the butts of the needles operating only on the single yarn of the fabric.

Referring to the construction illustrated in Figs. l to 5, the long butt needles l0 are. provided with butts 11 of an equal height throughout their length, while the short butt needles l2 that knit-in the reinforcing yarn at determined courses, are provided with butts 13 which for a portion only are -of equal height with the long butts, and

introduced. These, needles are mounted in therotated needle cylinder as usual and are arranged sothat the series of short butt needles will always engage the reinforcing yarn' as operatively laid in their path :it the determined portion of the fabric construction by the yarn feeding device 3. l'lf'henever this extra yur these short butt needles are in'rny improved construction'operated by the knitting` euros to lowei` them deeper in' the needle Cylinder than the long butt needles and thus cause them to draw a longer loop us required by the additional yarn they are opt-.riding on. To accomplish this I anton "ily move the knitting-cam heed G towardfor away from the needle cylinder as required and so shape the knitting: cams that they will operate either on the low or the high portions of the short hutt'needie .lf2 ris de termi-ned by the locution of Suid cani head.

The cam` head B is moved toward the needle cylinder l by the usual spring 20 employed in this type of knitting' machine, und if: moved a'i-vzty from said cylinder a Sullieient distance to cause the cams to ope-rute upon the high portion 14 of the butts of needles lf2 by the following mechanism: A lever 7l pivotedit'o the head 6 is connected by rod 2121-0# pivoted cam operated lever rfhis lever/"21 is normally held raised by a spring Znnd is depressed by a. cam 25 on the com drum Q6. Upon the 'lever 21 is mounted a wedge cam 2'( which contacts with the fixed base 28 upon 'which the head t5 is slidably mounted and adsigted'to draw said head 6 away-'from the. cylinder l a determined distance whenthe lever-2l is lowered by thecam 25 on the 'drum This cam drum which is partof the gen eral mechanism of this type of machine also' operates the yarn feed device S and the cams on the drum S56 may he readily timed to opemte these parte in lizirnony` The knitting lcam Ii() which lowers all the needles in the knitting operation is undercut ns shown in Figs. 2, 4,and 5 so thnt only its edge portion 31 cont-acts with the needle butts* :1nd the cum 32 which limits the downward throw of said needles is providcdwith an extension 33 hrivinga loner-stepped portion 3f'. lVhcn the cam houd (i is in normal knitting position for the general run of the fabric, as shown in Fig. Il', :ill the needles :ire lequally lowered by the knitting cam F30- 3l contacting `with the even width. long butts and the equal width portion ot the. short butts and all thc butts :irc limited in their descent by the high portion of the eztti-nsion 33 of cam 32. But when the reinforcing yarn is introduced the head (i .automatically moved :iwav `from snid needle cylinder? onl shown in Fig. 5, so that the knitting cum BO will then Contact at 3l with the high port-ion'bl of the short butt needles introduced long butt needles and prevents their being carried down by their momentum. vThis drawing of a loop of greater length for the partof the fabric provided with the re intox-sizing varn permits of a very nice ad- `'iustment that will equalize the tension in the reinforced and non-reinforced part of the fabric and result in a finished fabric ot` improved texture and appearance.

i While I have indicated my invention applied to a well known form of knitting-mnchine. in which the needle'cylinder revolves lsind the. cam head is stationary, it will readily be seen that it is equally applicable to other well known types in which the needle cylinder is fixed and the cams are mounted one revolving cylinder. And the inert-.used draw ofloop for the short Ybutt needles may be accomplished in n different manner by a corresponding change. Thus in Fi 6 to 8l have indicated anotherl well known type of knitting machine in which the. needle cylinder 1a fixed and the lcam head or ring G revolves; In this'case the butts: ofall the needles are of' uniform height throughout their length, theshortvcams are usedand :during normal operation of the machine, as shown in' Fig'. huilt-he needles lowered by knitting cam 30a-are limited in this downward movement by the com 1-tl, the long butt needles being carried there by their momentum and the short butts being positively lowered. l'Vhen the reinforcing yarn is introduced, as shown in Fig. 8, Vl introduce n. camgl in the path of the long butt needles only, `which cum positively limits their down-ward movement and prei-ents their beingl lowered to cam 40, while the. short but-t needles are still being lowered to said cam 40, thus causing the short butt needles to draw a longe-r loop than the long butt needle-sns required by the extra yarn, the necessary variation of thc needlecvlindcr l being simultaneouslv provided for. v

vWhat l claim is l. In a ci rcuhir knitting machine the combination with the needle cylinder of' a series of ndi: cent needles therein adapted to knit part of the circular course, and another vseries of adjacent needles adopted to knit the remaining partof the circular course, one of :sf-iid series having needle butts dilferingdn iieiglrt from those of the other series, means for supplying an extra yarn to one of said series of needles, needle operating mechamovzible into the path of ,said uff-edles,

llO

and means for differently setting said mechanism so as to either operate upon all of the needles uniformly or to vary the lowering of the two series of needles at the knitting point as determined by the difference in heights of the butts.

2. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with the needle cylinder of one series of needles therein having long butts and another series having shorter butts of greater height, means for supplying an extra yarn to said short butt needles, and needle-operating means comprising a movable part adapted to vary the lowering of the two series of needles at the knitting point as determined by the difference in the heights of the butts.

3. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with the needle cylinder of one series of needles therein having long butts and another series having shorter butts of greater height, means for supplying an eX- tra yarn to said short butt needles, and a knitting-cam mechanism adapted to normally lower all of said needles uniformly but comprising an adjustable part adapted to be moved into engagement with said short butts to varv the lowering of the same as determined b v the different height thereof.

4. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with the needle cylinder of one series of needles therein having long butts and another series having shorter butts of greater height, means for supplying an ex- A`tra yarn to said short butt needles, and a head movable in relation toknitting cam said needle cylinder and adapted to normally lower all of said needles uniformly when in one position, and to lower the short butt needles below the long butt needles when in another position.

5. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with the needle cylinder of one series of needles therein having long butts and another series having shorter butts with a portion thereof of greater height, means for supplying an extra yarn to said short butt needles, and knitting cams operable either upon the high or low portion of said short butt needles.

6. In a circular knitting machine, the combination lwith the needle cylinder of one series of needles therein having long butts and another series having shorterbutts with a portion thereof of greater height, means for suppl ing an extra yarn to said short butt need es, a knitting-cam head carrying a knitting cam the edge portion only o'i which contacts with said needle butts, and means to move said head to contact said edge portion with either the low or high portions of said short butt needles.

7. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with the needle cylinder of one series otneedles therein having long butts and another series having sl'iorter butts With a portion thereof et' greater height, means for supplying an extra yarn to said short butt needles, a knitting-cam head carrying knitting cams, one of said cams having an extension to limit the lowering movement of said needles and provided with a steppeddown portion. and means to move said head to limit the short butt needles only in said stepped-down portion.

S. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with the needle cylinder et one series of needles therein having long butts and another series having shorter butts with a portion thereof ot vgreater height, means for supplying an extra yarn to said short butt needles, a knitting-cam head carrying knitting cams. one of said cams adapted to lower the needles being recessed so that only the edge portion thereot' contacts with the needle butts, and another cam having an extension to limit the lowering movement and formed with a stepped-down portion, and means to move said head to cause the edge portion of said lowering cam to contact with the high portion of said short butt needles and depress them into said stepped-down portion.

9. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with a needle cylinder of one series of needles therein having long butts and another series having shorter butts with a portion thereof of greater height, a yarn feed device for supplying an extra yarn to said short butt needles, a knitting-cam head slidable toward and away from said needle cyl` inder and carrying cams operable upon either the high or low portions of said short butt needles, and a cam drum having cams to simultaneously put said extra yarn feed de vice into operation and to move said cam head to engage the high portion of said short butt needles.

In testimony whereof I atlx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK W. ROBINSON. lfVitnesses:

D. M. STEWART, ADAM L. OTTERBEIN. 

